


Sagiso

by parallelanprincess



Series: How (Not) To Raise A Yandere [7]
Category: Yandere Simulator (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ayano Aishi's Childhood, Child Neglect, Dysfunctional Family, F/F, Female Friendship, Femslash February, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, POV Female Character, POV First Person, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-02-17
Packaged: 2019-03-19 02:25:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13694919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parallelanprincess/pseuds/parallelanprincess
Summary: Shiagari Middle School is preparing for the national achievement test. Midori has more important things to worry about.





	1. Chapter 1

The absolute worst things about school are the tests. At the end of every week, at least one of our teachers quizzes us on what we learned. I got failing grades no matter how hard I studied. Meanwhile Ayano and Kuu pass with flying colors. The temptation to cheat off of their papers is so strong. The only problem is that Kuu would lecture me on hard work and scholarship and other things. It's not fair, she stays up all night playing video game and gets way better grades.

“Life is not fair, Midori. You know that,” Kuu said.

Rana-sensei was passing back our language tests. I didn't bother looking at my score. No reason to get upset when class was going to be over soon. Papa needed help restocking the store and I forgot to study. I peaked over Ayano's shoulder to see what she got. A perfect score! That's our Yan-chan, smart and beautiful.

“Why doesn't school have cheat codes?” I pouted.

“An excellent question. Skipping this level would be extremely convenient.” Kuu showed me her paper.

Suddenly I didn't feel so bad. Hime-neesan wasn't going to be happy. She had to dropout of school to take care of Kuu when their parents went abroad for work. While Kuu was at school, Hime-neesan worked at a maid cafe in the city. All the waitresses wear really tight, black leather outfits and sparkly chains. They serve the best parfaits there. Too bad they never let us go to the dance club in the basement.

“Some of you have been very naughty. The results from the last test were very disappointing. This is now way to start the school year. Entrance exams will be sooner than you think and I'm afraid that this won't cut it,” Rana-sensei said.

Don't remind me. My goal was to get into Akademi High with Ayano and Kuu. I was going to have to work a lot harder to close the gap between us. The best high school in the prefecture was going to be the place I confessed my love to my gorgeous best friend. We'd be in all the same classes, graduate together, and get married. I wanted a nice, happy relationship like the Aishis. I'd be Ayano's perfect career woman wife and work hard to support us.

“You're all aware that the big, bad national achievement test is coming up. I'm sure you don't want to hear me going on and on about it. Please give your attention to your class representative, Miss. Kamenaga,” Rana-sensei said.

Kuroko Kamenaga reminds me a lot of Ayano. They both come from old families with lots of money. Kuroko's parents also work for Saikou Corp. Her dad is even the vice president of the entire company. She's easily the smartest girl in our year and tons of boys like her. Her glasses make her look like a grandma so I don't see the appeal. Still, her hair is nearly as pretty and long as Ayano's so I suppose that makes up for it a bit. Kuroko's serious demeanor made her the automatic pick for class representative.

Kuroko got up and stood in front of the class. With her neat uniform and perfect posture, she looked downright presidential. Everyone paid attention when Kuroko spoke. Even Tachimura stopped flirting with Sakyu to look at Kuroko.

“Greetings, I will get straight to the point. As third years it is our duty to participate in the national test. This shall determine our ranking not only in this district but the entire country. Performance on the national exam is an indicator of how prepared you are for entrance exams at the end of the year. Therefore, I urge all of you to put in your best effort moving forward. Thank you,” Kuroko said.

Kuu was right. We should be able to skip certain parts of life.  
 

* * *

 

“Why do we have to take that stupid test? It's not like it matters in the long run. Everyone knows Shiagari is the best school in district. A dumb test isn't going to change that,” I said.

Walking home with Kuu and Ayano is my favorite part of the day. We can take our time and talk about school. Since Ayano lives the furthest we go to her house first. The only problem is that they live on top of a steep hill. Me and Kuu are about ready to collapse once we get there. If we're lucky Mr. Aishi is home to give us snacks. On the days we have lots of homework he lets us stay over for dinner and drives us home afterwards.

“Technically speaking Shiagari is the third ranked junior high school in this prefecture,” Kuu said.

“What are the top two?”

“Chugakko Junior High and Kinben Academy. Chugakko is a private school. As for Kinben, it is an elite all girls boarding school. Both of them are extremely expensive and influential.”

Kinben sounded like the type of place Kuroko would fit right in. A school filled with beautiful rich girls that you can live with. It was the type of thing you saw in dating sims. Having more girls around might not be a good thing. What if someone else got a crush on Ayano? Competing for her love against an army of suitors sounded hard. They did say that love was a battlefield. Ayano was worth any sacrifice! I'd take my sword and fight my hardest to win her heart.

“Midori, what are you thinking about?” Ayano asked.

“N-nothing! Uh, I'm happy we all go to the same school. It's lucky we get to be in the same class again,” I said.

“I'm happy too. I like walking home with you.” Ayano took my hand in hers. Her skin was so soft and delicate. Whenever we held hands my heart started to beat really fast. My face got really warm. I think Ayano liked it too because it was one of the few times she smiled.

“You're more than a classmate. You're my best friend, Midori.”

“You're my best friend too! I hope we get to stay together forever. Things wouldn't be the same without you!”

* * *

 

Mama was busy making dinner when I got home. The radio was on at full blast since she loved listening to music when she cooked. Her favorite group was SMAP the coolest boy band on the planet. She sung their songs at the top of her lungs whenever she drank too much sake. Good thing she promised not to drink and cook anymore. The fire department was pretty angry last time that happened.

“Each of us is only one flower in the world,” Mama sang. She seemed to be happy. Nothing smelt like it was burning. I decided to leave her alone and go to my room.

My futon was still laid out since I forgot to put it away in the morning. It use to belong to my aunt until she moved to the continent. My relatives were constantly dropping off their used items. Papa claimed it was frugality. Cheapskate. I wanted to sleep on a big western style bed like Yan-chan. She doesn't have to dust off her bed every month. Her parents are nice enough to tuck her in every night.

I didn't want to do homework. There were too many kanji and formulas to memorize. It's no fair that stupid test is all about literature and math problems. How was any one expected to be that smart during the first semester of school? Why were third years being targeted by the ministry of education? It was discrimination!

“Midori, are you home? You talkin' to yourself again?”

“I do not talk to myself! I simply like to think out loud.”

Mama came into my room. Hopefully, she remembered to turn the stove off first. My parents called me a scatter brain when they were the forgetful ones.

“What's this test thing you're raving about? You fail another one? Don't beat yourself up. I wasn't exactly a genius at your age,” Mama said. She sat down next to me. Mama had green hair like me. She kept it in a ponytail so it never got in the way. Papa grabbed it whenever he got angry. When I was older, I was going to cut her my hair short. Ayano wouldn't pull it anyways. She was nice.

“There's a test we have to take next week. Everyone about to graduate junior high has to take it. The results will decide who's the best in the whole country,” I explained.

“We never had shit like that back in my day. Probably not important in the long run. Country's going to the dogs. Shouldn't matter whether a bunch of kids can pass a test,” Mama said.

“Ayano and Kuu say it's a big deal. They said I need to study harder. I don't want them to leave me behind. They're a lot smarter than I am.”

“Careful around that Aishi girl. No doubt the women in that family are badass. I still get weird vibes from her mom. Something's off about her dad, too. Rich folks are a whole 'nother breed, kiddo. It's good to have friends in high places but never let 'em look down on you.”

My friends never looked down on me. Kuu tried to help me with classwork. Ayano brought me extra food all the time. The Aishis were nice enough to buy me new school uniforms. Mama cursed a lot when she found out. She went on and on about not accepting charity and other stuff. Whatever. At least Mrs. Aishi bought me clothes that were the right sizes.

“Mama, I smell smoke.”

“Shit, the rice! I keep telling Kuchiro we need a new goddamn cooker.”

Lying is bad.

Mama gets to be a lot sometimes. And I was sleepy. A nap before dinner was more important than homework. I had to change out of my uniform first. I didn't want it getting wrinkled or stained.


	2. Chapter 2

The week leading up to the national achievement test was the absolute worst. Mama worked extra shifts because one of her coworkers had a baby. Papa claimed he was testing out extended hours at the store but...anyway, I was home alone a lot of the time. Making dinner for one person is pretty fun. I get to pretend that I'm a university student living in my own apartment. I got to stay up and watch the same late night anime Kuu did. Whenever I had problems with homework I called Ayano. Mr. Aishi usually picked up the phone. He was really good at math and other stuff.

Before I knew it there was only a day left until the big test. I wasn't feel any bit smarter either. I told Ayano and Kuu on the walk home that I was totally gonna fail and make Rana-sensei mad.

“What is it that drives adults to work so hard? The economy is not that weak,” Kuu said.

“Mama goes to sleep on the couch for a few hours then goes right back to work. Papa drops by to get things and then it’s back to the store. He ordered too many radishes this month so we've been eating a lot of oden,” I said.

Ayano was quiet on the whole walk to her house. She did that every once and awhile so I wasn't too worried. She spent a lot time in her head. I couldn't begin to imagine what she thinks about so deeply. Yan-chan's like a cat, sometimes they stare into space a long time before they jumped up in the air for no reason. I guess in a way I was still waiting for her to jump.

Mr. Aishi was sitting on the porch smoking a cigarette when we arrived. He was wearing his business suit with his tie undone. He looked so cool. like a cutthroat assassin from an action movie. A ruthless professional willing to do whatever it took to take care of his family.

“Afternoon, ladies. What's new in teenage girl land?” He exhaled a puff of smoke.

“Standardized testing,” Kuu said.

“Ayano mentioned that. You guys ready or not? Not that you have much of choice.”

“We have made the necessary preparations. Most of us.” Kuu glared at me.

Hey, it's not like my score has any effect on yours! Don't embarrass me in front of Mr. Aishi and Ayano. Studying all alone in a big, empty house is hard. There are all sorts of weird noises that distract me.

“Father, may Midori stay with us for the night? Her parents have been absent recently,” Ayano said suddenly.

“You don't say. Is this true, Midori. Don't tell me you've been staying home by yourself again.” Mr. Aishi had that strange look on his face he got whenever Papa dropped me off to play. He stomped out his cigarette and slipped his tie off.

Mama and Papa did their best to take care of me. I was a big girl. I knew how to cook and clean and do everything. I was almost an adult. I avoided his eyes and stared at the front door instead. Their house was so big and nice. Everything about Yan-chan's family was so nice and classy. I felt bad for taking advantage of their kindness.

I was tired of being alone.

“Yes, sir. They never tell me when they're coming home. It's scary being all by myself.”

“Me and your dad are going to have a long talk. Ayano take Midori inside. Kuu, run along to your sister before it gets too dark. I think I'm going to go do a little grocery shopping.

* * *

 

“Yan-chan, do you think your dad is going to hurt mine?” I asked.

We were laying in Ayano's bed. Our book bags were laying on the ground. The matching notebooks Mr. Aishi bought us were neatly stacked with our textbooks. The Badtzmaru plushie I won for her was sitting on top of the dresser frowning down at us. The smell of strawberries wrapped around me like a blanket. Ayano was holding me. She was holding me the way she only did in my dreams. I'm still not sure it wasn't a dream.

We all have to wake up eventually.

I felt worried about Papa. Mr. Aishi was really mad at him. It'd be my fault if anything bad happened. How would I explain things to Mama? The police might come if Mr. Aishi and Papa got into a fistfight. Both of our families would be shamed if that happened. Kids at school would bully us for the rest of the year. All because I was too scared to be alone for a few hours.

“Father has minimal self defense training. It is doubtful he will manage to harm anyone,” Ayano replied. She scouted over closer to me. I laid my head on her shoulder. Ayano always knew the right things to say and do. Not like me.

She was strong.

“Do you ever get scared, Ayano?”

“Yes.”

Ayano started stroking my hair. It felt nice. I was so tired. I stayed up late all night. Rana-sensei yelled at me for falling asleep in class again. She said my snoring was distracting the other students.

“What are you afraid of?” I yawned.

Hard to imagine anything terrifying Ayano Aishi. She was cool and composed at all time. Kuu admitted that Ayano scared her sometimes. Inkyu and Sakyu said the same things. They were all being dumb. Ayano was the nicest, most gentle person in the world. She made me feel safe. She made me feel happy.

“Making the same mistakes as my parents.”

“Me too. Let's be better than them.”

“We will be,” Ayano promised.

We napped until Mrs. Aishi came home and asked us to help with dinner.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Mr. Aishi kicked Mr. Gurin's ass and we all know this was a long fucking time coming. Also Midori is best, sweetest girl. I really like this series. The YanSim wiki gives me a lot of shit to work with. Comments and kudos are always appreciated.

Ayano let me borrow a pair of her pajamas. They were green and decorated with cute frogs. She said they looked extra cute on me. Yan-chan says the nicest things. The Aishis have a spare guest room they allowed me to use. The big Western style bed was softer than anything I ever touched. It was covered in a quilt that was sewn by Ayano's great grandmother. The design was a beautiful woman in a bright red kimono holding a katana against a backdrop of cherry blossoms. I wonder if this was an ancestor of Yan-chan's. I slept better that night than I had in months.

When I woke up in the morning I almost forgot where I was. My body was on autopilot as I went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Mr. Aishi was leaning on a kitchen counter drinking coffee. His face was slightly bruised. He and Papa must have gotten into a fight. It took him awhile to notice me standing in the doorway.

“Morning, Midori. Did you sleep okay?” he asked.

“Yes sir,” I said. This was my first time being alone with him. He looked tired in a way that had nothing to do with not getting sleep. He reminded me of Mama on the days where she laid on the couch and didn't speak.

“Good, good. You know you're always welcome here. Our door is always open.”

“Yes sir.”

We stared at each other for awhile. In a weird way, we sort of matched. He was wearing a bright green robe with lily pads. I wonder how much better life might have been if I was his daughter instead. To me, Mr. Aishi was the perfect dad. But Ayano must have known something I didn't. She was afraid of turning out like him. Being a nice, kind man wasn't the worst thing in the world. He could be a mean drunk who gambled away his savings.

“What's for breakfast? I'm really good at cooking,” I said to break the silence.

“Know how to make oyakadon? It's Ayano's favorite. She says I make it just a little bit better than her mom.”

* * *

 

  
Kuu was mad at us on the walk to school. She claimed we had a sleepover without her. We did. It wasn't on purpose. Hime-neesan wanted Kuu to start going to cram school. Kuu's complaints about the national achievement test led to arguments about high school entrance exams. Kuu wasn't as set on Akademi as I was. She wanted to go somewhere that might help her become a game developer. Schools that focused on science and technology were the hardest to get into. Masuta quit going to martial arts lessons to focus on studying for Akademi's exam. He took two trains to his cram school to make sure he was accepted. Kuu got way better grades than he did. I guess Hime-neesan was worried about Kuu dropping out if she didn't take things seriously enough.

“Himiko greatly underestimates my abilities” Kuu said.

“More likely you underestimate how much time you spend on dating sims,”Ayano said.

“Ten hours of gaming helps me hone my motor and cognitive skills.” I doubted there was any force on earth capable of keeping Kuu from the most recent release of Cherry Touch. Hime-neesan did have pretty toned arms from bussing tables. I've seen her throw out unruly patrons after a chaotic lunch shift.

“My mother wants me to attend cram school. She believes it will help me make more friends. She was very insistent I associate with more boys in our age group.”

Mrs. Aishi was ruining my plans of being Ayano's number one girls. Boys were gross. They smelt like body spray and rotten leeks. There was no way I could afford cram school. Not unless money started raining from the sky or I went to one of the cheaper programs.  
When we got to class, Rana-sensei and Kuroko gave us another speech about taking the test seriously. Then it was book bags away, pencils out, and three hours of pretending I managed to learn something in the last eight years. A full stomach and good night's sleep worked in my favor. The math problems were a lot easy then our homework for the past month. Rana-sensei must have increased the difficulty to help us prepare. Or Mr. Aishi's phone tutoring worked better than I thought. A few times during the test, I glanced over at Kuu. She was frowning like she was stuck on a boss fight before the final level.

“Gurin! Tachimura! Do not disgrace this school with your wandering eyes,” Rana-sensei yelled. I thought she was busy fixing her makeup! I guess that compact mirror was actually for getting a better look at people who might be cheating. I think Tachimura was just trying to peak down Inkyu's shirt.

Kuroko finished first, followed by Kuu, and then Tsuka-kun. The test meant we had a half day so Kuu waited for Ayano and I in the hallway. We were the last two to turn the test in. Ayano probably took extra time so I wouldn't feel bad. She was considerate that way. She took my feelings into account for a lot of things.

“We're free! Free as birds!” I cheered.

“What do you want to do now?” Ayano asked. I want to run away and marry you, you beautiful creature.  
“How about we go to that arcade in your father's hometown? We have enough time to take a trip and get back before dinner,” Kuu said.

“Last one to the train station is a rotten egg!”

I started running down the hallway. Kuu chased me yelling about school policies. Ayano followed close behind with a soft smile. My life was harder than the average ninth grader. Having people like Kuu and the Aishis made things a lot better.


End file.
